Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL)’s Profitability Pulled into Focus as ROA Reaches 0.080698

In trying to determine how profitable a company is per asset dollar, we can take a look at  the firm’s Return on Assets.  Return on assets is calculated by dividing a company’s net income (usually annual income) by its total assets, and is displayed as a percentage. At the time of writing, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has 0.080698 ROA.  The measure is commonly used to compare the performance of businesses within the same industry, since it is very difficult for someone to obfuscate the cash flow figure. Thus, the ratio is quite a reliable and comparable measure of asset performance across an industry.

The direction of stock market moves in the short-term are highly unpredictable. Many investors will be tempted to ride the wave whether the trend is buying or selling. Fearful investors may make hasty decisions such as panic buying or selling. Investors may feel compelled to buy stocks after a major run higher. This can be related to the fear or missing out. On the other end, investors may be quick to sell quality stocks when the market is in the midst of a broad sell-off. This behavior often translates into falling into the trap of buying high and selling low. 

Valuation Scores

Checking in on some valuation rankings, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has a Value Composite score of 35. Developed by James O’Shaughnessy, the VC score uses five valuation ratios. These ratios are price to earnings, price to cash flow, EBITDA to EV, price to book value, and price to sales. The VC is displayed as a number between 1 and 100. In general, a company with a score closer to 0 would be seen as undervalued, and a score closer to 100 would indicate an overvalued company. Adding a sixth ratio, shareholder yield, we can view the Value Composite 2 score which is currently sitting at 27.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has a current MF Rank of 7824. Developed by hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt, the intention of the formula is to spot high quality companies that are trading at an attractive price. The formula uses ROIC and earnings yield ratios to find quality, undervalued stocks. In general, companies with the lowest combined rank may be the higher quality picks.

The price to book ratio or market to book ratio for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) currently stands at 2.059708.  The ratio is calculated by dividing the stock price per share by the book value per share.  This ratio is used to determine how the market values the equity.  A ratio of under 1 typically indicates that the shares are undervalued.  A ratio over 1 indicates that the market is willing to pay more for the shares.  There are often many underlying factors that come into play with the Price to Book ratio so all additional metrics should be considered as well. 

One of the biggest mistakes that can plague the individual investor is not setting up an overall investment plan. Investors may want to start out be setting up an outline of overall goals. Having goals can eventually make the day to day investing decisions at little bit easier over time. Once a plan is in place, investors can then spend more time focusing on the proper stocks to add to the portfolio. Dedicating time for extensive stock research may not be easy, but it may put the investor in a better position. Some investors will go to greater lengths, such as making sure that they have a good reason behind every buy or sell decision. This process may seem unnecessary to some, but it may help the investor stay focused when the market gets choppy and tough decisions need to be made.

Ever wonder how investors predict positive share price momentum?  The Cross SMA 50/200, also known as the “Golden Cross” is the fifty day moving average divided by the two hundred day moving average.  The SMA 50/200 for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is currently 0.92886.  If the Golden Cross is greater than 1, then the 50 day moving average is above the 200 day moving average – indicating a positive share price momentum.  If the Golden Cross is less than 1, then the 50 day moving average is below the 200 day moving average, indicating that the price might drop.

The Leverage Ratio of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 0.413655. Leverage ratio is the total debt of a company divided by total assets of the current and past year divided by two. Companies take on debt to finance their day to day operations. The leverage ratio can measure how much of a company’s capital comes from debt. With this ratio, investors can better estimate how well a company will be able to pay their long and short term financial obligations.

Volatility

Stock volatility is a percentage that indicates whether a stock is a desirable purchase.  Investors look at the Volatility 12m to determine if a company has a low volatility percentage or not over the course of a year.  The Volatility 12m of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 32.561000.  This is calculated by taking weekly log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over one year annualized.  The lower the number, a company is thought to have low volatility.  The Volatility 3m is a similar percentage determined by the daily log normal returns and standard deviation of the share price over 3 months.  The Volatility 3m of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 39.417800.  The Volatility 6m is the same, except measured over the course of six months.  The Volatility 6m is 33.678300.

Quant Scores

The Q.i. Value of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 39.00000.  The Q.i. Value is a helpful tool in determining if a company is undervalued or not.  The Q.i. Value is calculated using the following ratios: EBITDA Yield, Earnings Yield, FCF Yield, and Liquidity.  The lower the Q.i. value, the more undervalued the company is thought to be.

The Piotroski F-Score is a scoring system between 1-9 that determines a firm’s financial strength.  The score helps determine if a company’s stock is valuable or not.  The Piotroski F-Score of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 8.  A score of nine indicates a high value stock, while a score of one indicates a low value stock.  The score is calculated by the return on assets (ROA), Cash flow return on assets (CFROA), change in return of assets, and quality of earnings.  It is also calculated by a change in gearing or leverage, liquidity, and change in shares in issue.  The score is also determined by change in gross margin and change in asset turnover.

The M-Score, conceived by accounting professor Messod Beneish, is a model for detecting whether a company has manipulated their earnings numbers or not. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has an M-Score of -2.209820.  The M-Score is based on 8 different variables: Days’ sales in receivables index, Gross Margin Index, Asset Quality Index, Sales Growth Index, Depreciation Index, Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index, Leverage Index and Total Accruals to Total Assets.  A score higher than -1.78 is an indicator that the company might be manipulating their numbers.

The Gross Margin Score is calculated by looking at the Gross Margin and the overall stability of the company over the course of 8 years.  The score is a number between one and one hundred (1 being best and 100 being the worst).  The Gross Margin Score of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) is 15.00000.  The more stable the company, the lower the score.  If a company is less stable over the course of time, they will have a higher score.

Looking at the current landscape of the equity market, investors may be doing some bargain hunting for stocks to add to the portfolio. Many sharp investors will welcome temporary market dips which may provide plenty of buying opportunities. Being prepared for these types of opportunities can help the investor make quick decisions in the midst of a downturn. As we move closer to the close of the year, investors will be closely watching the next round of company earnings reports. Even if the individual investor chooses to trade conservatively during earnings, they can still do the necessary research and have stocks lined up to purchase when the time is right.